Day Two Leopardstown Christmas Festival Who To Follow

Leopardstown - December 27 2021
Leopardstown 13:10
2

Chacun Pour Soi

J:
 
T:
 
W P Mullins
Age: 9
Weight: 12-0
OR: 176
Days: 23

The first big race of the day is the Grade One Paddy's Rewards Club Chase over 2m1f and we are siding with last years winner Chacun Pour Soi.

Having not raced since March 2016 he went to Naas for his first run in nearly three years in a Beginners Chase and showed a perfect temperament to take the spoils by 31 lengths back in 2019.

He was then sent to the Punchestown festival with many punters still unaware of the ability of this horse and he gave one of the stand out performances of the meeting, beating the Arkle Novices Chase winner Duc Des Genievres and JLT Novices Chase victor Defi Du Seuil to land the Grade One Ryanair Novices Chase.

He made his seasonal debut the next season over Christmas at Leopardstown in this Grade One Chase against some superb horses and although looking like he had the race wrapped up he found nothing when coming off the bridle and was pipped close home by A Plus Tard.

He came on a huge amount for that run and got back to winning ways in the Grade One Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival, beating stablemate Min.

The gelding made his seasonal return last term at Cork at the start of December and although not impressive he still landed the Grade Two Hilly Way Chase in workman like fashion.

He then backed that up at Leopardstown Christmas meeting by landing this race for the first time, cruising to victory.

He came on massively for that run to emphatically take back to back renewals of the Grade One Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival and from there it was all systems go to the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Highly punter for the Wednesday feature he found little up the hill and had to settle for third behind the smart mare Put The Kettle On and Nube Negra.

Looking to bounce back he put things right at the Punchestown festival when romping to victory in the Grade One Champion Chase, seeing off stablemate Allaho by close to sixth lengths.

Back for another season, Mullins started him off at the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the run was too bad to be true not beating a horse home.

We are putting that down to a blip and back on home soil we fancy him to bounce back to form like he has in the past.

Trainer To Follow - Gavin Cromwell

Gavin Cromwell could have a very good day at Leopardstown on Monday, with some big chances in some expensive races across the afternoon.

In the first race of the day he fields one of his best chances of the day with Vera Verto looking to build on his hurdles debut second.

In the feature Paddy Power Handicap Chase he has the joint favourite Alfa Mix who looks extremely well handicapped for this event.

Jockey To Follow - Paul Townend

Paul Townend could have a superb day at Leopardstown on Monday with some live chances up and down the card for retained trainer Willie Mullins.

His first big chance of the day is the exciting Haut En Couleurs who is very lightly raced but finished a superb third at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown festival in Grade One company over hurdles.

He sits on Chacun Pour Soi in the Paddy Rewards Club Chase looking for back to back wins with the nine year old and then in the other Grade One he has a big chance with the mare Grangee.

Paul Townend heads into the meeting in electric form currently running at a strike rate of 67% for the last two weeks, managing to land eight winners from 12 runners.

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing